scholarly journals Qualitative Evaluation of the Project P.A.T.H.S.: Findings Based on Focus Groups with Student Participants

2009 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 691-703 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel T. L. Shek ◽  
Catalina S. M. Ng

This paper reports a qualitative evaluation study conducted to explore the perceptions of students who joined the Tier 1 Program of the Project P.A.T.H.S. A total of 92 students were randomly selected to participate in 10 focus groups, which provided qualitative data for the study. With specific focus on how the informants described the program, the descriptors used were primarily positive; the metaphors named by the informants that could stand for the program were basically positive. Program participants also perceived the program to be beneficial in different psychosocial domains. The present study lends further support to the effectiveness of the Tier 1 Program of the Project P.A.T.H.S. in promoting holistic development in Chinese adolescents.

2006 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 2254-2263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel T.L. Shek ◽  
Tak Yan Lee ◽  
Andrew Siu ◽  
Ching Man Lam

Qualitative evaluation was carried out to understand the perceptions of the students participating in the Tier 1 Program of the P.A.T.H.S. Project. Five focus groups based on 43 students recruited from four schools were conducted to generate qualitative data to evaluate the program. With specific focus on how the informants described the program, results showed that the descriptors used were mainly positive in nature. When the informants were invited to name three metaphors that could stand for the program, the related metaphors were basically positive in nature. Finally, the program participants perceived many beneficial effects of the program in different psychosocial domains. Intra- and inter-rater reliability analyses revealed that the coding of the positive or negative nature of the responses was reliable. The present study provides qualitative support for the effectiveness of the Tier 1 Program of the Project P.A.T.H.S. in promoting holistic development in Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel T. L. Shek ◽  
Rachel C. F. Sun

An integration of the qualitative evaluation findings collected in different cohorts of students who participated in Project P.A.T.H.S. (Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social Programmes) (n=252students in 29 focus groups) was carried out. With specific focus on how the informants described the program, results showed that the descriptions were mainly positive in nature, suggesting that the program was well received by the program participants. When the informants were invited to name three metaphors that could stand for the program, positive metaphors were commonly used. Beneficial effects of the program in different psychosocial domains were also voiced by the program participants. The qualitative findings integrated in this paper provide further support for the effectiveness of the Tier 1 Program of Project P.A.T.H.S. in promoting holistic development in Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel T. L. Shek

An integration of the qualitative evaluation findings collected from program implementers conducting the Project P.A.T.H.S. (Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social Programmes) in different years (n=177participants in 36 focus groups) was carried out. General qualitative data analyses utilizing intra and interrater reliability techniques were performed. Results showed that the descriptors used to describe the program and the metaphors named by the informants that could stand for the program were generally positive in nature. Program participants also perceived the program to be beneficial to the development of the students in different psychosocial domains. The present study further supports the effectiveness of the Tier 1 Program of the Project P.A.T.H.S. in Hong Kong based on the perspective of the program implementers.


2009 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 992-1002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel T. L. Shek ◽  
Rachel C. F. Sun ◽  
Christina Y. P. Tang

Nine focus groups comprising 23 program implementers recruited from nine schools were conducted to evaluate the Tier 1 Program (Secondary 2 Program) of the Project P.A.T.H.S. (Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social Programmes). Qualitative findings showed that a majority of the program implementers regarded the program as beneficial to the program participants in different psychosocial domains. The program implementers also described the program positively and positive metaphors were used to represent the program. In conjunction with the previous research findings, the present study provides further support for the effectiveness of the Tier 1 Program of Project P.A.T.H.S. in promoting holistic development among Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong.


2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 245-252
Author(s):  
Daniel T.L. Shek

Abstract Ten focus groups comprising 42 program implementers recruited from 10 schools were conducted to evaluate the Tier 1 Program (Secondary 3) of Project P.A.T.H.S. (Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social Programs) in the 2008/09 school year. Results showed that a majority of the program implementers used positive descriptors and metaphors to represent the program and they perceived that the program benefited the program participants in various psychosocial domains. In conjunction with the previous research findings, the present study provides further support for the effectiveness of the Tier 1 Program of Project P.A.T.H.S.


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luckmore Chimanzi

This article explores the development of heteronormativity and the construction of masculinities at a township primary school in South Africa. In this study, boys and girls chastise homosexuality yet maintain their male-to-male and female-to-female social bonds. Homosocial or male-to-male social bonds have a bearing on the construction of male identity. It is argued that homosocial relationships serve as a means through which certain boys negotiate and exhibit their masculinity in a process of identity formation in which heterosexuality is a key component. Qualitative data from focus groups and diary research with Grade 7 students (male and female) in a primary school are used. Boys engage in a number of games and acquire resources for themselves; hence, as a social unit, they portray themselves as heteronormative. Their solidarity plays a role in maintaining their power in relationships even though privately some of them expressed preference for more flexible constructions of masculinity.


Author(s):  
Janne E Gaub ◽  
Carolyn Naoroz ◽  
Aili Malm

Abstract The research on police body-worn cameras (BWCs) has rapidly expanded to evaluate the technology’s impact on a range of police outcomes. Far fewer studies have addressed the various effects on downstream criminal justice actors, and those that do have focused almost entirely on prosecutors. Thus, public defenders have remained on the periphery of the police BWC discussion, despite playing an important role as an end-user of the technology. This study draws on qualitative data from focus groups with public defenders in the Commonwealth of Virginia to discuss the perception of BWCs as neutral observers in a police–citizen encounter. We then provide implications and recommend avenues for future research.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel T. L. Shek

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Tier 1 Program of the Project P.A.T.H.S. (Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social Programmes) in Hong Kong by analyzing 1,327 school-based program reports submitted by program implementers. In each report, program implementers were invited to write down five conclusions based on an integration of the subjective outcome evaluation data collected from the program participants and program implementers. Secondary data analyses were carried out by aggregating nine databases, with 14,390 meaningful units extracted from 6,618 conclusions. Results showed that most of the conclusions were positive in nature. The findings generally showed that the workers perceived the program and program implementers to be positive, and they also pointed out that the program could promote holistic development of the program participants in societal, familial, interpersonal, and personal aspects. However, difficulties encountered during program implementation (2.15%) and recommendations for improvement were also reported (16.26%). In conjunction with the evaluation findings based on other strategies, the present study suggests that the Tier 1 Program of the Project P.A.T.H.S. is beneficial to the holistic development of the program participants.


2007 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 686-697 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel T. L. Shek ◽  
Rachel C. F. Sun

A total of 52 schools participated in the Experimental Implementation Phase of the Project P.A.T.H.S. After completion of the Tier 1 Program, 8,057 students responded to a Subjective Outcome Evaluation Form (Form A) to assess their views of the program, instructors, and perceived effectiveness of the program. Based on the schools' evaluation reports, results of secondary data analyses on four open-ended questions showed that: (a) students felt that they had learned things at the personal, interpersonal, familial, and societal levels; (b) they appreciated the program design, instructors' performance, learning process, and program effectiveness; (c) they generally had positive comments on instructors’ attitude and teaching process; and (d) they made some suggestions on how the program and its implementation could be improved. The present study, based on qualitative data of subjective outcome evaluation, provides additional support for the effectiveness of the Tier 1 Program of the Project P.A.T.H.S. in Hong Kong.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document